At what point do we get to wake up from this nightmare, look at the clock, and realize that it was all just some bad pizza we had the night before?

On to the links…

What Darrell Issa was Doing on the Roof—2018 is a long way away and a lot can happen before the midterm elections, but can we finally get rid of this no talent ass clown? He is literally looking down on his constituents after refusing to meet with them because he does not care as long as he stays rich and Koch money keeps him in office.

Frugality is Environmentalism—I wish that this point got driven home more and more. We cannot buy our way out of our environmental problems. We can save our way a lot closer.

There’s Way Less Coal Than We Thought—Depending upon who you ask and who you trust it might be true that our estimates of economically recoverable coal were way too high. What does this mean? Basically, it is even more difficult for coal power to be cost competitive if the fuel is going to cost more to mine.

15 Ways to Use Bar Soap—I am bar soap partisan. I use bar soap in the shower and I use shampoo that comes in a bar form as well.

Cannabidiol Slashes Seizures in Kids with Rare Epilepsy—I realize it is derived from marijuana, but given the growing body of evidence—both anecdotal and scientific—why isn’t the government all over studying this? Oh right, people like Jeff Sessions are making drug policy in the United States.

Hemp in Food for Horses and Chickens? Maybe.—Did you have a guy in the dorms in college who told everyone that hemp was a miracle plant? It could be used for fuel, food, medicine, and so on. Maybe that guy was on to something.

At what point do we look into the abyss and see nothing but Donald Trump’s searing ineptitude staring back at us? Every time the man goes to the podium with a world leader to his right he stumbles through a word salad of “very this” and “tremendous that” without ever actually saying something of substance.

Every time he steps to the podium I am reminded of Robin Williams’ line in Dead Poets Society:

Can Steve King be Defeated? History Says Probably Not—People in his district love Steve King. He is one of the most embarrassing human beings in politics and the people in his district will reelect him in a walk in 2018. Why? They are also the same people who are probably standing behind Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly.

Why Is Trump Ignoring These Good Heartland Jobs?—Why? It does not fit his easy narrative and the man is lazy. It does not matter that renewable energy employs more people than coal and that the renewable energy jobs sector is growing. It also is a narrative that does not line the pockets of Koch Industries and other Trump lovers.

US Coal Production Hits 38 Year Low—Here is the thing. As coal production volumes fall there is a self-perpetuating cycle of decline that follows because it is a capital intensive business. As coal gets more expensive to mine it gets more expensive to make coal fired electricity, which leads to utilities closing down coal fired power plants. This causes coal demand to fall further which causes the price of mining coal to increase. So on and so forth.

Ten Cool Facts About Hemp From the NoCo Expo—Did you have an acquaintance in college who spent hours telling you all the cool facts about hemp that “the man” would not allow to become mainstream because reasons? That person is mainstream now.

Made it out of Los Angeles. Barely. No, seriously, I thought I might get stuck forever walking the mile and a half from the car rental return to my airport hotel. Two dead ends and a convoluted route finally got me to my destination. Maybe it is true that no one actually walks in Los Angeles.

Winter is coming. At least that is what my daughter thinks now that the air conditioning is off for the summer and the night time temperature is dropping into the 40s. She is constantly asking how many days it is until ski resorts in Colorado open. We might have created a monster here.

On to the links…

US Solar Capacity Now Exceeds 20 GW—Believe it. I am hoping to add my own little bit to this number before the close of the year with an approximately 5 kWh system on a west facing roof. Permits be damned.

The Default Move For US Oil Is Downward. Here’s Why—An interesting technical analysis of the recent drop in oil prices and why we may be looking at a new normal. I think this price drop is a temporary reprieve that gives our economy some breathing room to start making a real transition away from fossil fuels.

So much rain and a lot of miles. Rain and miles occupy much of my thoughts lately. To get to my seasonal mileage goal on my bike I have to time a lot of rides around when it is going to rain. When an area sees storms drop multiple inches of rain in an hour or throw hailstones the size of golf balls and larger this is a harder task than it seems at first blush. First world problems, I guess.

On to the links…

The Economic Limitations of Wind and Solar Power—Most of the time we get focused on the technical limitations of renewable energy without really thinking about the broad economic limits. This piece is a well-reasoned look at those limitations.

Europe’s Emissions Decreased Another 5% in 2014—Some of this is a function of a mild winter, which reduces the demand for natural gas and heating oil, but there is something to this trend. If only the U.S. could actually follow suit and find a way to reduce its emissions.

Texas Enjoys Record-Breaking Quarter As New Solar Capacity Soars—Texas now has ~379 MW of installed solar—adding up utility, residential, and commercial—with 2015 looking like a big year in terms of cumulative additions to this total. Remember, every solar panel is less fossil fuel that needs to be burned. It’s demand destruction lone star state style.

One Container Ship may Cause as Much Cancer as 50M Cars—Shipping is a dirty business because these massive container ships use bunker oil. Just think of it as the sludge that is left over when everything else of value has been extracted from oil. You are left with the shit. It’s cheap, plentiful, and really dirty. If there is a low hanging fruit, in terms of emissions and pollution reduction, it has to be switching ships off bunker oil.

Once And Future Nut: How Genetic Engineering May Bring Back Chestnuts—Chestnuts are an acquired taste. Roasted chestnuts may be sung about every holiday season, but how many people actually know what those taste like? I remember getting a bag every year after Thanksgiving when I would take a trip into Chicago with my parents. It’s but a memory now that chestnut trees have been obliterated by blight.

Why did this businessman buy 53,000 acres in Florida?—Usually when you read about someone buying a bunch of land in Florida it is about subdividing that land and turning it into a retirement community. Apparently someone has a different idea about how Florida should look.